My Heart's Desire
by The Emcee
Summary: In order to protect his Hiro from Callaghan, Tadashi fakes his death. However, things don't always go as we plan and Tadashi soon realizes that trying to protect the one you love isn't as easy as it may seem. Hidashi. Slash. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

Title: My Heart's Desire

Author: The Emcee

Summary: In order to protect his Hiro from Callaghan, Tadashi fakes his death. However, things don't always go as we plan and Tadashi soon realizes that trying to protect the one you love isn't as easy as it may seem.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: This was originally going to be a one shot, but I wanted to see what you all thought of it now (I'm quite impatient). It probably doesn't make any sense since I wrote this on and off at work and while I was tired as hell, but hopefully it kind of does? I don't know. Also, there are probably a lot of errors and mistakes sicne I did write almost all of it on my tablet. This is part one of two - hopefully - and the second one should be up soon-ish. Please feel free to leave a comment in the towel section! R&R. Enjoy!

**~…~**

**My Heart's Desire**

**~ …~**

Tadashi wasn't sure why, but he had never really liked Professor Callaghan. At first, he thought it was just because he was a freshman in college, new to how things worked outside of the strict high school rules and regulations. Plus, Hiro had just turned eleven and was in high school for the first time without Tadashi; every spare second of every day, he worried about him (in between conversations about his beloved little brother, of course). So, at first, Tadashi thought that his dislike for Professor Callaghan was mostly due to worry and stress.

As his first semester wore on, however, his dislike didn't dissipate or dissolve at all. In fact, it intensified, which made him seriously wonder what the heck was up. There was absolutely no reason for why his instincts were telling him that his professor was bad news. Professor Callaghan had always been nice to him, encouraging him to continue working hard and find different angles for any obstacles he met along his way.

None of his friends seemed to think something was off about him. Wasabi thought, as most people did, that Callaghan was a genius and that his work helped to shape the field of robotics for the better. Honey Lemon's opinion was just about the same, only she added that a man who had a daughter couldn't be that bad since raising a daughter often proved more trying mentally and emotionally than raising a son would have. Tadashi told her that she really needed to meet Hiro if that's what she believed. Fred suggested that perhaps Tadashi had a secret super power that was only now beginning to manifest as he was making the transition from boy to man, to which Tadashi said that that might be the case, only encouraging Fred's rant on super powers and comic books (Gogo was not amused).

And Gogo...

Well, she didn't flat out say she's didn't like Professor Callaghan. But she did say that he often had a manic look about him. When Tadashi asked what exactly she meant by that, she thought for a minute before telling him that it was just how he looked to her and that her gut had told her about it, and that was all she needed to know about him.

Talking to his friends about it hadn't helped him out very much and Tadashi was stuck in the same boat he had been in when he first brought it up, and he didn't know why.

**~…~**

The day that Hiro graduated from high school, and at thirteen, was one of the proudest days of Tadashi's life.

His little brother, his Hiro, his priceless treasure, his most important person, was a high school graduate at such a young age. Tadashi couldn't help but get teary eyed as he watched his adorable Hiro walk across the stage to receive his diploma. Aunt Cass was already in tears, but she was smiling and shouting praises at Hiro as he moved to sit down with the others in his graduating class. Tadashi just had the insistent urge to go over to Hiro, pulling him into his arms, and snuggle him just like they did whenever they watched a movie together. But he refrained from doing that in public; he'd save it for later, after he and his small family were done celebrating his treasure's graduation.

Tadashi and his aunt weren't the only ones in the crowd who were there for Hiro, though. A vast majority of San Fransokyo's college representatives were there as well, hoping to score the youngest genius in the city for bragging rights. That meant that Professor Callaghan was there too, watching Hiro, observing him, and Tadashi didn't like that. He didn't like the thought that Professor Callaghan was watching his brother, his Hiro.

Tadashi wanted Hiro to go to his college, the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, because, for one, he'd be able to look after him and protect him and guide him, and for another reason, he just wanted to have Hiro by his side as much as possible. He had missed Hiro not being with him in classes or at lunch and he longed for the days where they were together as much as possible again, talking about robotics and technology and brainstorming ideas together. However, part of Tadashi also wanted Hiro to go to school elsewhere so that Callaghan couldn't watch him like he was a piece of meat. Maybe it was just Tadashi's over active imagine, but he had the unsettling feeling that that was what Callaghan would be doing if Hiro decided to go to SFIT.

He tried not to dwell on that feeling for too long though, because the graduation ceremony was over and everyone was raising from their seats to go and search for their children. Tadashi and Aunt Cass joined the frey, and it didn't take them long to find Hiro. Actually, he found them, bounding over to them oozing with excitement and happiness with a big smile on his face, the gap between his two front teeth making him look even more loop precious and adorable than usual. As Hiro came charging at them, Tadashi scooped him up into his arms and hugged him tightly, smiling brightly himself and laughing in pure joy.

"You're a free man now, little brother!" he exclaimed, hugging Hiro again even though he squirmed in Tadashi's grasp. If Tadashi had it his way, he'd never let Hiro go.

"Hey, now! Don't hog our little genius all night," Aunt Cass teased and Tadashi reluctantly put Hiro down. Aunt Cass ruffled Hiro's hair and cooed at him while smothering his face with kisses. It was cute, especially since Hiro kept trying to escape her clutches.

"So, Hiro, have you thought about going to any of the nerd schools?" Tadashi asked him once Aunt Cass was finished loving him to death.

"Why bother? It's not like I'd learn anything I don't already know," Hiro said. Just as Tadashi was about to reply, another voice butted in.

"That's a shame, Hiro, considering that the students at San Fransokyo's Institute of Technology go on to mold the future," Professor Callaghan said calmly and with a smile as he approached them. Instinctively, Tadashi stepped closer to his brother, preparing to literally throw him over his shoulder and bolt if he had to (it wouldn't be the first time and it wouldn't be the last either).

"Y-you're Robert Callaghan," Hiro said, his voice cracking. Everyone who was into robotics knew who Professor Callaghan was; that was one of the reasons Tadashi decided to go to SFIT. Now, he wished he had gone elsewhere, even if he still couldn't reasonably explain why he felt the way he did.

"Yes, I am, and I'm a professor at that college," Professor Callaghan told Hiro. Hiro's eyes lit up and he looked excited and eager. Tadashi would have been very happy had Callaghan not been there.

"Yeah, I know. Tadashi told me he was taking a few of your courses," Hiro replied, looking as though an interesting challenge had finally presented itself to him.

"Then you should know that my program isn't an easy one. You won't be able to get by on luck. My students go on to mold the future, Hiro," Professor Callaghan said. If possible, Hiro's eyes lit up even more.

"It sounds like a challenge," Hiro said, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. But Tadashi was too busy studying Professor Callaghan. He looked normal, calm, and average, but Tadashi could see that his posture was a little too laid back and relaxed and there was an eagerness and a hunger in his eyes that he didn't like.

He was seriously considering throwing Hiro over his shoulder now.

"For many, it is. Perhaps, if you join SFIT, you'll learn something new," Professor Callaghan said. "Good luck on your future ventures, Hiro." And with that, he turned and, finally, left.

Hiro turned and looked up at Tadashi with wide, almost frantic eyes.

"Tadashi! I HAVE to go to your nerd school! I MUST!" It had been a while since Tadashi had seen his brother so excited about anything school related and he was happy to see that his precious treasure was going down the right path for him. Squandering his incredible gift of intelligence would be a waste.

"Well, I don't think it's too late to apply. And I'm positive that they'd accept you without question," Tadashi told him, smiling down at him.

"Can we do it right now? It's not too late is it? How long will it take to hear back?" Hiro fired off question after question as he, Tadashi, and their aunt headed for the doors of the high school auditorium.

"Calm down, Hiro. You just graduated and summer vacation just started for my school, so you've got time," Tadashi tried to placate him.

"I don't have time! I'm going to lose my mind!" Hiro exclaimed, his flailing arms almost hitting Aunt Cass.

"Hey! Just because you're going to college now doesn't mean you can hit your aunt!" Aunt Cass scolded him, although her smile made it obvious that she was only teasing him. She pulled Hiro and Tadashi into her arms and shouted joyously. "I just can't believe my two boys will be going to college together!"

"Well, believe it, Aunt Cass," Tadashi told her, "It's happening." He smiled lovingly down at Hiro, who blushed and scratched his head before giving a nonchalant shrug.

"Yeah, well, I never back down from a challenge, and Professor Callaghan's program does sound pretty challenging," Hiro said.

Tadashi wished with all of his heart that he could feel happier for his brother, but he couldn't. He just had this feeling that something bad was going to happen and that Hiro would be dragged through the middle of it.

**~...~**

Tadashi decided to do some digging on Professor Callaghan.

There just HAD to be a reason why he had such a bad feeling about such an intelligent man. He had never, ever felt this way about anyone. Surely, there had to be a reason behind it, and Tadashi was going to find it. He HAD to find it. It had been driving him insane since the day Hiro had signed up for SFIT, because he had to watch out for his brother above all else, and Hiro didn't see to feel that something was off about their professor. Hiro was his to protect and he was going to protect him regardless of the cost.

However, most of the stuff Tadashi had found wasn't anything out of the norm. It was mostly stuff he already knew, like Callaghan's Laws of Robotics. But he refused to give up. Just like Hiro, Tadashi could be incredibly stubborn. He kept searching page after page on the computer until, eventually, he did manage to find something.

A newspaper article about the mysterious disappearance of Callaghan's daughter, Abigail. The article was from two years ago and was seemingly forgotten. Truthful, it hadn't even made the front page; it was one of those short, vague articles, which Tadashi found odd. Robert Callaghan was a pretty big deal; his inventions and Robotics Law were used and applied worldwide. If his daughter went missing, wouldn't it make more sense if it was on the front page of a newspaper?

"What are you still doing here?"

Tadashi jumped in his chair and turned to see Gogo standing in the door of his lab. She popped her gum bubble and quirked an eyebrow at him.

"O-oh. Hey, Gogo," he said. He knew he sounded as guilty as he looked and that didn't help matters. "I was just...uh...w-well..."

She walked into his lab and peered over his shoulder at the computer screen. He watched as a look of surprise mixed with confusion crossed her face.

"Professor Callaghan's daughter went missing? I never knew that," Gogo said. "He talks about her all of the time."

"Yeah, I know. I was just as surprised as you were when I found out," Tadashi replied. "It seems...strange, doesn't it?"

"How so? People disappear all the time," Gogo said straightening up and popping her gum.

"But Callaghan is a well known man. He's often called the Father of Modern Robotics. If his daughter went missing, wouldn't it be on the front page?" Tadashi said.

"Maybe he didn't want everyone to know?" Gogo suggested. Tadashi shook his head.

"No, that doesn't make sense. Wouldn't he want people to know so that they could help search for her?" Tadashi countered.

"You're right. Then why would they write such a small, forgettable article about it and put it on a back page?" Gogo asked. Running a hand through his short, black hair, Tadashi shrugged.

"I dunno. I just know that something's not right here," he muttered softly, more to himself than Gogo.

"Do you still have that weird feeling about him?" Gogo asked, watching him closely, her eyes showing a small amount of concern.

"Yes, I do. And it's gotten stronger since Hiro started going here," Tadashi confided in her, his voice soft, almost fearful. If anything were to happen to Hiro, anything at all, he didn't know what he'd do. Hiro was his everything; losing him would be like Tadashi losing half of his body, heart, and soul.

"Why? Do you think Professor Callaghan is gonna do something to him?"

"I...don't know. I just know that something is off about this entire situation and that Hiro is in danger," Tadashi told her.

"Have you thought about talking to Callaghan about this?" Gogo said.

"And say what? 'Hey, Professor, you're not a creepy weirdo who is planning on molesting my brother sometime here soon, are you?' I doubt that that'd go over well," Tadashi said and then sighed, slouching down in his chair. "Maybe I'm just losing my mind." Gogo snorted.

"Your mind? You lost that years ago," she said.

"Gee, thanks."

"If you're that bothered by it, why don't you tail him one night or something?" Gogo added, crossing her arms over her chest as she popped her gum.

"Tail him?" Tadashi asked, his mind processing what she was suggesting. Gogo rolled her eyes.

"Follow him. Professor Callaghan usually stays here until late. Why not follow him one night and see where he goes," she elaborated. "You might just find out he's either a normal, boring guy or a crazed psychopath." Tadashi's eyes lit up at the suggestion.

"That's a brilliant idea! I might find out why he's been giving me this off feeling," he said. Gogo shrugged.

"It's worth a shot," she said. Tadashi stood up and put his jacket on.

"You're a genius! Thanks for the help, Gogo," Tadashi added as they left his lab. She popped her gum.

"Yeah, I know."

**~...~**

Tadashi didn't have to wait too long before the perfect opportunity to tail Callaghan presented itself.

For the past two weeks, he had been staying after school later and later, trying to seize the chance. But, every time, Callaghan either had someone else with him or left right after he was finished teaching for the day. It was quite frustrating but Tadashi wasn't going to give up, no way, no how. And, thankfully, all of his patience paid off.

It was almost eleven when Callaghan left the campus, unaware that he was being followed by one of his students. Keeping enough distance so that he wouldn't be noticed but staying close enough so that he didn't lose him, Tadashi followed Callaghan as he walked down the sidewalk.

He wasn't sure how long he had been tailing his professor, but after awhile Tadashi realized that Callaghan wasn't heading towards the city, but was instead making his way to the port docks. Why would he be headed there, though? Callaghan had no reason to be there. Intrigued, hius heart pounding deafingly in his ears, his palms sweating like crazy, Tadashi followed him. Taking many abrupt turns, Callaghan eventually came to an old, decrepit looking warehouse that looked abandoned. Peering from side to side to see if anyone had followed him - Tadashi pressed himself to the side of a building and his in the shadows - Callaghan produced a key from his pocket and unlocked the large, rusted lock that kept the warehouse closed off from outsiders.

When Callaghan stepped inside, Tadashi quickly rushed to the for and caught it before it closed. He watched as Callaghan practically stormed towards the right of the warehouse before slipping quietly inside. Then, he let the door close softly and stalked in the shadows to where Callaghan was standing, in front of a wall that had papers, articles and notes hastily scribbled on it. Tadashi stared at it and saw images he didn't understand, like two circular devices that he didn't recognize and the picture of a red bird with a circle around it. There was also a large map of some sort, but as he was hidden behind a steel beam, he couldn't make out which area of the city it covered, if it was even a map of San Fransokyo. Callaghan stood before the wall with both hands pressed against it and his head hung low. His eyes appeared to be closed and his body was stiff with tension.

"Soon, I'll have just what I need to finish this," Callaghan muttered to himself, his voice impossibly loud compared to the silent warehouse. "As soon as that Hamada boy perfects his bots, Krei will pay."

Tadashi's blood ran cold. Was Callaghan talking about Hiro's microbots, the ones he was going to present at the student showcase next week? Did Callaghan intend to steal them? If so, why and for what purpose? And who was this Krei? Did Callaghan mean Alistair Krei, of Krei Tech Industries? How did they know each other? What was going on?

There were too many questions that needed answers, and he was too busy processing what he had found out to even begin theorizing about where to look for those answers. Besides, Tadashi needed to high tail it out of there before he was seen. Quietly and slowly, he turned and left Callaghan and the warehouse behind.

**~...~**

What Tadashi wanted to do when he got home was take a shower and go to bed.

What he got wasn't what he wanted.

As soon as he opened the door to his and Hiro's room, Hiro turned around in his chair and glared at him. That made him freeze in his tracks. Had he done something to upset his brother, his most important person, his very reason for living? Had he said something and Hiro just took it the wrong way? Tadashi, as tired as he was, couldn't think of anything on the spot. Not that Hiro gave him the chance to anyway.

"Why have you been ignoring me for the past two weeks?" Hiro demanded, his expression appearing angry, but Tadashi could see the hurt in those familiar brown eyes. His heart squeezed painfully.

Had he been ignoring Hiro? He had been staying at school later ever since his conversation with Gogo in the hopes of tailing Callaghan and when he got home, he usually went straight to bed. With his work at school, his project, and worrying about Callaghan as well as Hiro's a safety, had Tadashi ignored his brother and caused him pain without noticing or intending to? It would seem that yes, he had done just that. No wonder Hiro was so upset.

"Hiro, I haven't been ignoring you. I've just been...preoccupied," Tadashi calmly replied, his voice soft and reassuring.

"Preoccupied with what? Do you have a girlfriend?" Hiro asked, he face getting red. He looked...embarrassed now as well as upset. Tadashi would have thought it was cute if the situation was different.

"No, no, I definitely don't have a girlfriend," Tadashi answered, almost laughing. If only Hiro knew...if only he knew how Tadashi really felt about him.

"Boyfriend?" Hiro asked, but softly this time as though he were half afraid of the answer. Perhaps it was cruel of him to think it, Tadashi thought Hiro looked adorable like this, worried Tadashi had someone else, worried that someone would come between them. No one was ever going to come between them, not if Tadashi had his way about it. No one and nothing.

"Nope. No boyfriend either," Tadashi said with a soft smile. He slowly made his way to Hiro and his brother looked up at him in sadness and frustration, tears welling up in his big brown eyes.

"Something's going on because you've been ignoring me! What is it? You've never done this before!" Hiro sobbed and his tears started to fall. Tadashi frowned and pulled Hiro into his arms, lifting his small, skinny body off of his chair. Hiro held onto him, his body quivering. "Did...did you f-find out?"

"Find out what, Hiro?" Tadashi asked as he held his brother and rubbed his back soothingly. His heart ached and he held Hiro tighter. He had caused his most precious treasure this pain and it sickened him. God, what a fool he was.

"Th-that I...I'm i-i-in love w-with you," Hiro choked and hiccupped as his sobs and tears continued. At his words though, Tadashi couldn't help but smile and he chuckled softly before pressing a tender kiss to Hiro's temple. Pulling back slightly, he cupped Hiro's face in his hands, studied his red, blotchy, tear soaked face, before he pressed a kiss to his forehead, the the tip of his nose, and the finally his lips. Hiro gasped and his body stilled for a moment before he relaxed and returned Tadashi's chaste kiss.

"I'm glad you love me that way, Hiro, because I've loved you that way for a while now," Tadashi told him, his warm brown eyes filled with love and understanding meeting Hiro's red and puffy ones.

"You...you do? You have" Hiro asked, hiccuping once. "You're not just saying that, are you?"

"No, I'm not just saying that. I wouldn't lie about something like this," Tadashi replied. Hiro snorted and started to look more like himself.

"You don't lie, like, ever." Tadashi chuckled and pressed another tender kiss to Hiro's forehead.

"I can't say that, but I try not to," he replied. Hiro shifted in his lap, his expression uncertain.

"So...where does that leave us?" he asked, his voice sounding so small and vulnerable. "We're...we're still brothers..." Tadash knew where he was going with this.

There were many nights that Tadashi himself asked that question, and the answer was always the same when he figured it out. Hiro was always his top priority. Hiro was always the most important person to him, the one he cared for and loved and cherished the most. The very thought of anyone coming before Hiro made his stomach churn and almost caused him to gag; so how could Tadashi be with another person if his thoughts and emotions always remained with his brother? It may be wrong, but who was to say that this feeling was wrong? How could love, no matter who it was directed to, be wrong? Tadashi didn't think love was wrong, not ever, and he didn't think that loving Hiro this way was wrong, especially considering that he didn't exactly hide his adoration for his brother anyway.

"Where do you want us to be?" Tadashi asked Hiro, leaving it up to his brother. He wasn't going to force Hiro into anything that he didn't want, and Hiro was smart enough to figure things out on his own. Hiro's brown eyes met Tadashi's and he saw the same love in them that he held for his baby brother.

"Together. Always together, no matter what," Hiro answered, his determination shining through in his words and in his expression. Tadash gave him a warm, loving smile and pressed their foreheads together, reveling in the feel of finally have his brother in his arms.

"Together," he repeated.

**~...~**

"Mr. Hamada, I need to speak with you after class," Callaghan called out to Tadashi before he could leave the classroom.

Tadashi almost let out an audible groan. The last thing wanted was to be left alone with Callaghan, especially after he followed him just a few nights ago. But whether he liked it or not, Callaghan was still his professor and if he needed to have a serious discussion with Tadashi, then he had to stay. So, shifting his bag over his shoulder, Tadashi made his way to Callaghan, who was prepping for his next class. Once they were alone, Callaghan turned to him.

"I know that you followed me the other night," Callaghan said, his voice calm and relaxed although his expression looked deadly, lethal, half-crazed even. Tadashi thought that his heart was going to stop beating. His eyes widened and his palms began to sweat, just as they had when he had been tailing Callaghan.

"I...I'm not sure what you're-"

"Don't play stupid with me, Mr. Hamada. You are many things, but stupid has never been one of them," Callaghan cut him off. "As I already said, I know that you followed me, and if you know what's best for you and for your brother," at that, Callaghan gave him a small, easy smile, knowing he had hit Tadashi where it would hurt most: Hiro, "you'll keep your nose out of it."

"And...if I don't, sir?" Tadashi said, his mouth moving on its own accord and the words tumbling out automatically. What the heck was wrong with him?!

"If you don't, then something incredibly bad just might happen to Hiro," Callaghan said as though he were talking about pulling weeds from a garden. "You wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him, would you, Mr. Hamada?"

Tadashi had to swallow the thick blockage that was clogging up his throat.

"No, sir," he said, his voice soft, his body tense with fear and concern.

"I'm glad we understand each other, then. And I hope that you also understand that seeking help from other people on this matter won't benefit your case at all," Callaghan said. "Now, don't you have another class to attend?"

With that, Tadashi all but bolted from the classroom, Callaghan's threat still ringing loud and clear in his ears.

**~...~**

"What am I gonna do?" Tadashi asked Gogo

He had just told her what had happened between him and Callaghan earlier that day. As soon as he could, he had locked himself in his room in the nerd lab, telling everyone that he'd be working on his project and that he would appreciate it if he was left alone. It was now past eleven and the only one who was left aside from himself was Gogo, for which he was grateful for. She was the only one who knew what was going on and Tadashi desperately needed someone to talk to.

"You could go to the police," Gogo said.

With what evidence? Callaghan's probably cleared the warehouse by now. And who's going to believe a college kid over his professor?" Tadashi sighed. "Besides, he told me not to talk to anyone about this! And...I don't even know what he's scheming..."

Silence fell upon them as they thought and minutes passed before words were spoken.

"You could always go into hiding," Gogo suggested.

"Go into hiding?" Tadashi asked. "And do what?" Gogo rolled her eyes.

"Use your big brain, knucklehead," she said, popping her gum. "Look for something that will prove Callaghan's planning something majorly bad. Try to stop him, even. Just make sure you get your hands on something good, something that'll stick, that way he'll get thrown behind bars for a while."

"That would work except that it'd probably put Callaghan on high alert. He already knows I'm onto him. If I go 'missing' or 'run away' then he'll think that I'm up to something he might not like," Tadashi said and ran a hand over his tired face. "Besides, I couldn't leave Hiro alone in this mess. He doesn't even know that anything's going on with Callaghan."

"It's probably best he doesn't know. He may be a genius, but he's still a kid," Gogo said, her voice softening along with her expression. Then, her eyes lit up.

"Why not fake your death?" she asked. Tadashi looked up at her, perplexed.

"Huh?"

"Fake your death. If you do, then Callaghan won't be suspicious for your sudden disappearance since you'd be, well, dead. And it'd give you the freedom to do whatever it takes to stop him," Gogo elaborated.

"That...could work, I guess," Tadashi muttered, not sounding convinced. "I'd hate to leave Aunt Cass and Hiro...especially if they think I'm..." He couldn't say it. Just picturing it with his mind's eyes was bad enough. It broke his heart just thinking about it.

"You want to stop Callaghan from using your brother and his tech to get back at Krei, don't you? You want to protect people and do what's right, right? You want to make sure that Hiro remains safe and that Callaghan won't hurt him or anything, right?" Gogo fired off question after question. Tadashi could only stare wide eyed at her.

"Y-yes," was all he could muster. Making sure Callaghan was stopped before whatever he was planning came to fruition and hurt a lot of people was important. Protecting Hiro was even more so. From what he had heard Callaghan say when he tailed him that night along with the map and articles on that wall in the warehouse, whatever Callaghan was up to was something major, like Gogo had said. It was bound to cause a lot of damage and to a lot of people. Stopping him was the right thing to do.

"Sometimes, you have to do what's right, even if it hurts the person you love the most," Gogo said, her eyes meeting Tadashi's, understanding in them. It was almost as though she knew...

"You're right."

"And sometimes, protecting the person you love the most is more important too. Right now, you're faced with both. Doing the right thing will protect Hiro," Gogo told him not unkindly. Tadashi looked up at her. She knew for sure. And she must have seen the realization in his eyes because she chuckled softly and popped her gum.

"To me, it's kind of obvious. No one loves their sibling that much," Gogo said with a casual shrug. "You two look cute together. But don't tell anyone I said that, got it?" Tadashi could only blush and laughed a bit.

"Yeah. Got it." He stood up and stared out of the window at the campus grounds. "So, how do we go about this whole...faking my death to stop Callaghan thing?"

"We think, of course," Gogo said.

Little did Tadashi know, the perfect opportunity was right around the corner.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: My Heart's Desire

Author: The Emcee

Summary: In order to protect his Hiro from Callaghan, Tadashi fakes his death. However, things don't always go as we plan and Tadashi soon realizes that trying to protect the one you love isn't as easy as it may seem

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Woohoo! Part two! Oh yeah! So, I just got back from seeing BH6 for the sixth time (see what I did there, my lovelies?) and it's still as wonderful and amazing and heart wrenching as it was the very first time I saw it. I will never not love this movie. Disney really out did themselves on this on. Anyway, please enjoy part two! Feel free to leave a comment in the towel section. R&R. Enjoy!

**~…~**

**My Heart's Desire**

**~…~**

Keeping an eye on Callaghan during the student showcase was almost as hard as it was keeping an eye on Hiro. The tech that was being displayed was pretty amazing and sick and his little brother was going off to look at one thing or another. Tadashi wanted to have a good time and enjoy the showcase, but he couldn't. Something was itching underneath his skin, telling him that tonight was the night, this was it, there would be no going back. His heart pounding so loudly in his ears that it was deafening, his palms were so sweaty that wiping them on his jacket or pants wasn't working anymore, and he was jumping at every little noise, his eyes scanning everything quickly.

Callaghan was as calm, as cool, and as collected as he always was. Tadashi would even go as far as to say that he was arrogant. The smile on his face every time he looked at Hiro made Tadashi want to drag Hiro from the building, from San Franksokyo itself, and hide him somewhere. But he couldn't. That wouldn't solve the problem; that wouldn't stop Callaghan.

Tadashi's stomach was in knots and he wanted nothing more than to turn back time and prevent all of this from happening. He couldn't do that either. This was it. He could feel it. It was time for him to fake his death to stop Callaghan. But how?

His mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts. Part of him didn't think that he'd be able to go through with it. Tadashi felt nauseated and his hands were trembling so much that he had to keep them balled into fists to keep it from being noticeable.

All too soon, it was Hiro's time to shine in the spot light as he presented his microbots. Tadashi wanted to feel so very proud of his brother, his love, his treasure, but he couldn't stop from worrying about Callaghan. His eyes would go back and forth from Hiro to Callaghan, who was watching Hiro as though he had just handed him the winning ticket to a big jackpot. Why had Tadashi not seen before just how manic Callaghan was? Why had he not seen the ravenous hunger that seemed to emanate from Callaghan every time Hiro had talked about his bots before the showcase? Or was it just getting worse now that it was time for his plan – as much as it could be called a plan anyway – to spring into action? Was the adrenaline that was coursing through his veins opening up his eyes to the man that Callaghan really was? Was this was Gogo had meant when she had said that her gut had just told her he was bad news?

He didn't know nor did he have the time to think. Hiro had finished his presentation and he, Tadashi, Aunt Cass, and the rest of the gang were heading out of the doors to celebrate Hiro's victory over wowing the audience at the student show case. His brother would surely get the grant; of that, Tadashi had absolutely no doubt.

"Hey, Aunt Cass?" Tadashi called as he gently took hold of Hiro's jacket sleeve. "We'll catch up with you guys soon, okay?"

"Okay! Just don't be too long. I am…I'm just so proud of you both!" Aunt Cass all but shouted, pure joy and happiness in her eyes and on her face as she hugged both Tadashi and Hiro.

Once she was gone, Tadashi pulled Hiro aside, maneuvering them to the bridge. He was nervous, so very nervous, and part of him wanted to tell Hiro what he was about to do. Part of him – most of him, actually – wanted to tell Hiro everything. However, Tadashi couldn't risk it. He couldn't and wouldn't jeopardize Hiro's safety. If Callaghan found out that Hiro knew…Tadashi didn't even want to think about what the older man would do. And that was why he couldn't tell Hiro.

"You did great tonight, Hiro," Tadashi told him, a loving and tender smile on his face. Just gazing at Hiro now was making him feel better about all of this. After all, he wasn't just doing this because it was the right thing to do; he was doing this to protect his most important person.

"Thanks," Hiro said, his cheeks reddening ever so slightly. He looked down, a small smile on his face. "And…well…y'know…thanks for being here, for always being here, and for not giving up on me."

Tadashi felt his heart melting at Hiro's words and he pulled his brother into his arms, holding him tightly, smiling. What he would be doing was right. What he would be doing was right. It had to be. He had to do it. He must.

An alarm broke the otherwise calm night air around them. Then the screams started. Tadashi, not sure what was going on but knowing that Callaghan was behind it, released Hiro quickly and took off for the building. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that it was on fire. Shock and disgust coursed through his body. Callaghan had set the building on fire! Did he not realize that he could have hurt a lot of people?! Did he not care?!

"Ma'am, are you okay?" Tadashi asked a woman who had stumbled away from the burning building.

"Y-yes, but…but Professor Callaghan is still in there!" she managed to say through her coughing. Tadashi let her leave and he gazed at the building.

There wasn't much time. Thankfully, and luckily as well, the basement entrance wasn't far from the lobby entrance. If Tadashi could make it there in time, he'd be safe and he'd have successfully faked his own death. This was it. This was it.

As he surged forward, Hiro grabbed his arm tightly.

"Tadashi! No!" Hiro cried and when Tadashi looked at his brother, his love, his heart broke. Hiro looked so worried and afraid that it almost made him back out. But he couldn't. If he did, Hiro wouldn't be safe and a lot of people would get hurt because of Callaghan's plans, whatever they might actually be.

"Callaghan is in there," Tadashi said, panting softly, his heart pounding so badly that he thought he was having a heart attack. He hated doing this to Hiro, to Aunt Cass, but he had to. No one else could. "Someone has to help."

He ran from Hiro, from his entire world, and burst through the front doors of the lobby. Smoke quickly engulfed him, causing him to cough and greatly limiting his vision. Tadashi knew that he couldn't be seen by anyone on the outside. Squinting, he peered through the smoke and flames and saw, thankfully, the basement door to the building. Quickly, he surged towards it and opened it, thanking whatever deity that was watching over him that it had been kept unlocked in order for students to bring up their projects and tech. Flinging the door open, Tadashi made his way down the basement stairs, coughing, his lungs burning so very badly and his eyes watering from the smoke.

Then, he heard the basement door close with a final _thud._ He was sealed inside and the door was thick and strong and sturdy enough to protect him. Nonetheless, he made his way further into the basement and headed towards the other set of doors, the ones that would lead him to the outside world.

And then, he heard a loud explosion from upstairs and Tadashi knew that he had made it.

**~…~**

Weeks had passed since the funeral, since Tadashi's funeral. It had rained quite heavily, perfectly reflecting Hiro's emotions, and it had been incredibly sad and lonely and…and…

Words failed him. For once, Hiro had nothing to say and his mind was a constant blank, no new ideas were buzzing around inside his skull just waiting to be put to paper, no images of cool robots or tech flashed before his mind's eye. He was numb and he wished that he could be glad that he was but he wasn't. Any emotion he had ever experienced before was just…gone. Like Tadashi.

The world continued without his brother as it did whenever anyone died, but all Hiro could see was darkness. It had taken hold of him when the burning building had exploded and took from him his very reason for living and Hiro had allowed himself to drown in darkness' embrace. He couldn't see anything, hear anything, taste anything, smell anything, or feel anything. All around him, there was only darkness. Despite the fact that the sun was shining ,that birds were singing, that the city was bursting with life and energy, Hiro felt empty and dead, as dead as the love of his life was.

His bed had become his safe haven, his new best friend. He rarely left it. What was the point in getting out of bed? What was the point of anything anymore now that Tadashi was gone? He didn't eat – and Hiro doubted he'd be able to actually keep anything down even if he tried – and he couldn't sleep, not really. Nightmares haunted him without mercy every time he fell asleep and he had learned to become good friends with that space between sleep and being awake, when one didn't know if they were sleeping or not, when one couldn't tell anymore.

His body ached. It felt as though he was missing half of it and he was. He was missing all of the important stuff that his body needed. Tadashi had been his heart and soul and without him, he no longer had either one of those. Hiro was as heartless and soulless as the bots he created and he couldn't even bring himself to care that this was the thing he had become.

His heart, whatever was left of it, was in constant pain without Tadashi there. Hiro didn't even think he had an organ in his chest that pumped his blood throughout his body. It felt more like a machine part, a cold, hard, and heavy piece of metal that just pushed fluids to every limb to make him mobile, to give him movement.

And his soul…just like his heart, it was gone and Hiro couldn't find it in him to care. Without Tadashi with him, all of his purpose in life was gone. Not even bot fighting held his interest anymore. All Hiro did now was curl up in a ball underneath his blanket and gaze with a blank stare into the darkness that had engulfed him, just like those flames had engulfed Tadashi.

He couldn't even cry. Hiro didn't know if that was bad or not – his brain was no longer functioning – but he hadn't been able to shed one single tear, not even at Tadashi's funeral. His eyes were as dry as a desert and he just wished that his entire body would evaporate and dissipate, carrying whatever was left of his being to wherever Tadashi was.

Hiro couldn't even really think about Tadashi anymore. It hurt too much. Everything hurt too much. Never before had he felt a pain such as this and he was grateful to the darkness because it allowed him to stop thinking, to stop feeling, to just…be. He may not have been living, but he didn't care. This limbo that he was in, Hiro wanted to remain there. It was a better place to be than the world outside of his bed, a world that continued even without Tadashi, as though Tadashi hadn't mattered, as though he hadn't been important.

He had! He had, he had, he had!

Tadashi had been important. Tadashi had been the _only_ important thing in Hiro's life. He had given Hiro everything: love, attention, affection, purpose. He had given Hiro room to grow while still looking out for him; he had fueled Hiro's fire for knowledge and had guided him all of his life. He had protected him and loved him like no other could. Tadashi had been everything to Hiro.

And he was gone. And that was it.

Eventually, Aunt Cass had come up to their…_his_ room and had pulled Hiro out of bed. Literally. After begging Hiro to do something other than lay in bed, Hiro stood up and plopped himself down in his chair and said, without any kind of emotion, "There. I did something."

He had never seen such a hurt expression on Aunt Cass' face.

He had never not cared that he had hurt her, either, yet he just…didn't care. About anything anymore.

Hiro sat in his chair and after an hour of sitting, he reached out and grabbed Megabot from off of the floor nearby his chair. Staring at his perfect battle bot, Hiro felt an overwhelming ache in his chest. The last time he had touched Megabot had been when Tadashi had 'shaken things up' in his mind and the idea for his microbots and popped into his head.

Now, all he wanted to do was chuck his battle bot out of the window. Standing up, Hiro moved to do just that when a piece from his bot fell and hit his foot. Hard.

"Ow!" Hiro hissed and sat on his bed, cradling his foot. A familiar click and _whoosh_ sound emanated from the side of the room that had belonged to Tadashi and Hiro looked over to see Baymax.

His brother's project, the one he had slaved hours upon hours to create, had been sent home with them and Hiro had forgotten all about it. Until now.

**~…~**

"How…how is…is Hiro doing?" Tadashi asked as he climbed through Gogo's bedroom window.

For the past few weeks, he had been trying to find Callaghan, to discover what he had been up to. Tadashi had returned to the warehouse and had found it locked and sealed and there was no way for him to get inside. It was frustrating. All of his efforts over the past few weeks had led him to nothing but dead ends. Callaghan, it would seem, had died in the fire. For all Tadashi knew, he actually had since there was no sign of him anywhere. And Tadashi would know; he had searched every nook and cranny of the city, gone to places that he had never wanted to go – and never would return to – again. He had talked to every single street person, every undesirable there was, asking them if they had seen a man fitting Callaghan's description or if they had seen someone who looked strange and out of place.

Nothing. No leads. No clues. No hints. No information. No nothing. Nothing except a locked warehouse. And Tadashi knew, could _feel it_ in his gut, that if he could only break into the warehouse, he'd have all that he'd need!

But Lady Luck was not on his side.

It didn't help that he had been worried sick about his friends, about Aunt Cass, and about Hiro. Tadashi hadn't been there on the day of his own funeral; he hadn't wanted to sneak around just in case he was seen, but also because he didn't want to see all of the pain that he was putting his friends and family through. Now, though, after weeks of not seeing his aunt or his Hiro, Tadashi needed to know how they, how Hiro, was doing. Aunt Cass was strong; she would be able to push through it, but Hiro…

"Awful," Gogo said as she sat down on her desk chair. She was gazing at him as she popped her gum.

Had it not been for Gogo, Tadashi wouldn't have had anywhere to go. He was incredibly grateful for Gogo's support, her intellect, and her aid. She truly was a great friend.

"A-awful?" Tadashi asked, choking on the word. He knew Hiro would take his death hard, but…

"He hasn't answered any of his emails, phone calls, or text messages. Cass has told me and the others that he hasn't eaten at all since your 'died' and that he doesn't even get out of his bed," Gogo told him. "He's breaking, Tadashi, and I don't think you can fix someone once they've been broken."

"I…I know…" Tadashi felt like the scum of the earth. He was the worst big brother in all of recorded history and he was the worst lover that Hiro could've asked for.

"But you're keeping him safe," Gogo said softly, her sharp eyed gaze turning gentle and caring for a moment. "Callaghan is up to something and we're going to find out what. We will." Tadashi nodded, wishing that he actually felt half as confident as Gogo did.

"I hope so," he said softly.

"You're not in this alone," Gogo replied. She opened her mouth, about to continue, when her phone went off.

Her brow furrowing in confusion, she checked her phone and her eye brows shot up in surprise.

"Huh," she mumbled to herself. Then, she stood up and grabbed her leather jacket.

"What is it?" Tadashi asked.

"I just got an email from Baymax about Hiro," Gogo told him and then she was out the door.

Tadashi grabbed the large, worn out hoodie he had been using, put on his sunglasses to hide his eyes, and opened the bedroom window. After checking to make sure that the coast was clear, he scaled down the side of Gogo's house, thankful that her parents had chosen a nice, sturdy piece of lattice work as decoration before his feet hit the ground softly. Looking around, Tadashi quickly followed behind Gogo, slightly appalled that he was getting better at going undetected and being able to successfully sneak around like a common criminal.

He watched as Wasabi's car stopped by the sidewalk, allowing Gogo to jump inside. Once the car started moving, Tadashi had to run to keep up with it, although it wasn't that hard considering how Wasabi drove. It stopped a few times and Tadashi could only picture in his head what Hiro was up to and with Baymax nonetheless.

Eventually, Wasabi's car pulled into the dock area of San Franksokyo and stopped once Hiro and Baymax were in sight. As far away as he was from them, Tadashi could make Hiro and Baymax out perfectly. His creation was dressed in samurai armor and he looked both comical and imposing. Knowing that Hiro was behind it, Tadashi couldn't help but smile, imagining his brother's excitement as he made the armor for Baymax, how his eyes probably lit up, how his face would break out in a grin.

And then he actually looked at Hiro and Tadashi's good feeling was gone.

Hiro was thin, thinner than Tadashi remembered him ever being. He almost looked sick; no, he was sick. Depression did horrible things to people and it seemed it had claimed Hiro as a victim too. Not only was his brother way to thin, but his hair was unkempt, messy, and it looked as though it hadn't been washed in a while. His clothes were wrinkled and looked like they were swallowing him whole. But it was his eyes that drew Tadashi in.

There were deep, dark circles under Hiro's large, brown eyes. Tadashi could tell that he hadn't slept in a long time and his stomach clenched and unclenched at the thought (he had done this!). As Hiro tried to get their friends to leave, as he pushed them away even more than he had already been doing, Tadashi saw the never ending sadness in his brother's eyes. The brown that had once been alight with excitement and wonder was now a dull color, like muddy, murky water. Whatever light and radiance they once had was now gone, replaced by heart ache and unrelenting sorrow. He had caused this; he had done this! It was all his fault and he knew it, would never be able to escape that fact!

Before he could dwell on Hiro any longer, Tadashi's attention was drawn upward to the figured cloaked in black, a Kabuki mask shielding his identity from the world. Even with the disguise, though, Tadashi could recognize Callaghan's build and his heart stopped when he realized that he had Hiro's microbots, had more of them, and was using them to hurl an empty cargo car at Hiro and their friends.

Tadashi wanted to run to them, to protect them, shield them, but Baymax was strong and he had managed to prevent the car from crushing Hiro and the others. Sighing in relief, Tadashi watched helplessly as everyone piled into the car and drove away as fast as they could with Callaghan on their tails.

Preparing to follow after them, Tadashi paused and turned back to the dock. There, sitting on the ground, was a circular piece of…some kind of…machine, it looked like. Curiosity piqued, Tadashi stepped out of the shadows and approached it, remaining alert just in case. When he was close enough, he realized that it wasn't just some piece of wreckage; the circular piece of machine looked expensive and heavy. It was obvious that it had taken a lot of time and a lot of funding to creating it, whatever it was. He also noted the red bird design that was on it, framed by a white circle.

Without any hesitation, Tadashi pulled out the disposable cell phone he had purchased a week after his supposed death and quickly snapped a picture of the metallic device and the bird logo. He may not have known what it was, but it was a start. It was a beginning and he now had something to research, to apply his precious time towards.

Once he was satisfied with what he had managed to capture on his phone, Tadashi quickly left the dock area, hope rising in his chest. Perhaps his plan wasn't as futile and worthless as he had begun to believe it was.

**~…~**

"Have you found anything out about the bird symbol yet?" Gogo asked Tadashi as she peered over his shoulder at her computer. With a deep frown, Tadashi shook his head.

"No, I haven't," he muttered more to himself than to her.

"Have you done any research on Krei?" Gogo asked. Tadashi looked up at her with a puzzled expression. She popped her bubble gum and arched an eyebrow.

"Did you forget that Callaghan had mentioned Krei's name when you followed him?" Gogo said, sounding unimpressed.

"I didn't…forget. I've just been…concerned about other things," Tadashi said weakly.

"Yeah. Uh huh. Why do I not believe you?" Gogo countered. She leaned against the desk with her arms crossed over her chest.

"You need to start looking at the bigger picture. If Callaghan is after Krei, then they know each other. They're connected. Something in the past connects them. You just have to find out what," Gogo told him.

"I know, I know! I just… I've been worried about Hiro and about Callaghan and about if I'm doing the right thing or not… I want to make sure that no one gets hurt and it just…it's…" Tadashi didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to put it into words.

Gogo and himself were the only ones who knew about Callaghan and what he really was. The hours he spent just trying to find Callaghan before he showed up on the docks just a few nights ago were taxing. Figuring out what he was up to and why was even worse. Connecting the puzzle pieces was a nightmare. And what didn't help matters at all was that Tadashi was worried sick about Hiro.

His brother, his prize, his everything was putting himself in a lot of danger trying to find Callaghan as well. Hiro didn't even know Callaghan was the masked man! Dear God, Tadashi couldn't even imagine what his brother was feeling, he couldn't even imagine the pain he was in. Just thinking about it brought tears to his eyes and it made his mind shut off from thinking rationally since his emotions were taking over and-

"Stop it. Stop it right now," Gogo ordered him. Tadashi looked up at her with tears shining in his eyes, a questioning look on his face.

"You worrying about Hiro isn't going to help us out or find what we need. You need to focus and stay sharp or else you're just going to waste precious time," Gogo told him. Tadashi sighed heavily and stared at the computer screen, running a hand through his hair. Gogo was right; he needed to focus, he needed to get the job done, for Hiro's sake and for a lot of other people as well.

"If it makes you feel any better, Hiro seems to be doing well," Gogo said after a minute or two had passed by. Tadashi looked up at her with hope in his eyes.

"He is?" he asked softly.

"He's still hurting a lot and I still thinking he's slightly cracked, but he has drive now, purpose. He's getting things done," Gogo answered. Her eyes met his own and he saw an understanding in them that he hadn't expected.

"I know that you're hurting knowing that he's hurting, but he's your love. You love Hiro, Tadashi," Gogo said out loud with so much confidence that it rejuvenated him. A soft, loving smile spread across his face as Tadashi pictured his Hiro in his mind, how he was before he had faked his death. Happy. Healthy. Safe.

"You're right. I do love him. I love Hiro so much," Tadashi said softly, practically whispering the words as though they were a prayer.

"Protecting the one you love is hard," Gogo mumbled and Tadashi looked at her.

"You say that as though you know from experience," he said not unkindly. Gogo said and met his gaze.

"I do," she replied. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her gaze from his and stared at a blank spot on her wall.

"My parents…aren't too thrilled with me being an adrenaline junkie. They aren't thrilled about quite a few things about me," Gogo explained. Tadashi wasn't stupid; he had a feeling about where Gogo was going with this.

"Who is she?" he asked her. Gogo smiled, a tender smile much like the one Tadashi often wore whenever he thought of Hiro. His friend turned to him and her smile turned into a smirk.

"You already know her," she said. It clicked.

"Honey Lemon," Tadashi said and chuckled a bit. Gogo laughed as well and nodded.

"Can you blame me? Blonde hair and great legs," Gogo said. Tadashi laughed a little bit harder this time but kept it down. He didn't want to be heard. Gogo's parents may have been out of town, but he didn't want the neighbors to hear him.

"I can't say that I understand the attraction, but I believe you," he replied. Gogo shoved his shoulder playfully.

"That's because you prefer cute guys with messy hair and adorable big, brown eyes," she retorted, but her countenance was playful.

"Well, I can't deny that," Tadashi said.

"So, do you feel any better?" Gogo asked him. Tadashi blinked in surprise. Actually, now that he thought about it, yes, he did feel better. It no longer felt as though the world was threatening to crush him into the ground.

"Yeah, actually, I do," he replied.

"Then put that big brain of yours to use," Gogo said. She stood up and yawned, stretching, before she picked up a bag from the floor beside her bed.

"Going somewhere?" Tadashi said, sending her a teasing grin, which Gogo returned.

"Yeah, actually, I am," she replied. "I'm spending the night at Honey's house."

"Don't get too carried away now," Tadashi told her, laughing softly.

"Me? Get carried away?" Gogo scoffed. "You have no idea who you're talking to, do you?"

And with that, Gogo left the house, locking the door behind her as she did so and leaving Tadashi to his research.

**~…~**

"You seem so tense," Honey said, concern etched in her voice as she massaged Gogo's back. Gogo hummed softly before she turned her head to the side and gave Honey a tired smile.

"I'm just…thinking, I guess," she replied and moaned softly when Honey found a knot in her back that had been giving her problems much like the other ones. "We get to test our gear tomorrow. It should be fun."

"Oh, I know! I'm so excited! It all looks so impressive and stylish. Hiro really is amazing, isn't he?" Honey gushed, her bright blue eyes lighting up. Was it any wonder why Gogo had fallen for her? Then, Honey's expression softened.

"I'm glad Hiro's doing better. I didn't think he'd ever get better, you know?" Honey asked, her voice full of compassion.

"Yeah, but the fact is he is getting better," Gogo said and her heart clenched as guilt seeped into her stomach. She was the only one who knew Tadashi was still alive and it was slowly eating away at her.

"What's wrong? You suddenly got so sad," Honey asked her and she stopped her massage to give Gogo her full attention. Gogo hoisted herself up and turned to her girlfriend.

"It's just…with everything that's been going on, it's nice to finally have a nice, relaxing night with you," Gogo answered. It wasn't the truth that Honey had been searching for, but it was true. Being with Honey like this, not having to worry about catching Callaghan or training for a night, was very relaxing and soothing. Honey blushed and leaned in close to Gogo's face.

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" she said softly. Gogo didn't reply. Instead, she closed the space between them and kissed Honey lovingly, the knot in her stomach not fading away as their kiss deepened.

It wasn't right that she was keeping what Callaghan was really up to a secret from Honey and their friends. It wasn't right that she was the only one who knew Tadashi was alive. But Gogo wanted to protect Honey for as long as she could. She knew that the truth would eventually come out and that when it did, it wouldn't be pretty. When that time came, though, she'd have to be a woman about it and face it head on.

She was strong. She could handle it.

**~…~**

Gogo was awakened early in the morning by her phone vibrating almost violently on the nightstand beside Honey's bed. Groaning, she rolled out of bed, grabbed the phone, pulled on one of Honey's shirts – which fit her like a dress – and meandered to the bathroom half asleep. After closing and locking the door, Gogo sighed, plopped down on the closed toilet lid, and answered her phone.

"You'd better have a good reason for calling me so early in the morning," she grumbled, squinting her eyes at the bathroom wall, glaring at it.

"It's Callaghan's daughter!" Tadashi practically yelled over the phone. Tearing the phone away from her ear, Gogo inhaled sharply before she placed it back to her ear.

"Care to elaborate on that, wonder boy? My brain doesn't function at," Gogo paused and looked at the time on her phone, "five o'clock in the morning."

"It's Callaghan's daughter! She's the connection!" Tadashi explained, his voice full of excitement and relief.

"How so?" Gogo asked, rubbing her forehead.

"Remember the article I found about her disappearing?" Tadashi replied.

"Yeah? What about it?" Gogo may have loved Tadashi to death, but it he didn't get to the point soon, she was going to kill him.

"Well, I overlooked an important detail that probably wouldn't have mattered to the average reader. And when I was rereading the article and going over my notes, I found it, the connection between Krei and Callaghan," Tadashi said. Gogo growled.

"Get to the damn point."

"She worked for Krei Tech," Tadashi finished and Gogo was suddenly wide awake.

"That is the connection. Callaghan's daughter worked for Krei Tech and she disappears suddenly," Gogo said. "Whatever caused her disappearance, Krei Tech was behind it and Callaghan is planning to get back at Krei for it."

"You were right! You knew it! We knew it! We've found the connection! It was right there in front of my nose!" Tadashi exclaimed happily. "Gogo, you are a life saver."

"I know. Now, why don't you work on finding evidence or whatever that Callaghan is evil while I work on sleeping?" Gogo said as she stifled a yawn. Tadashi laughed.

"I'm heading out the window right now. With any luck, we'll have everything that we need and Callaghan will be stopped before night fall."

**~…~**

What Tadashi wanted and what Tadashi got were often two different things.

Life, for the most part, had delved its fair share of give and takes at him. His parents had died, but he was able to live with his aunt and brother, he was able to remain with his family. He wasn't rich, but he had been the top student in high school and that had landed him a scholarship to SFIT. Hiro may have been his brother, but Tadashi was in love with him and had found someone that he had a lot in common with and could envision himself spending the rest of his life with.

But things don't always work out the way they're planned.

Tadashi was standing before Gogo, wide eyes, a shocked expression on his face as he watched his friend seethe and pant, her eyes narrowed and glaring at him. She had just told him about the team's first encounter with Callaghan. It had ended very, very badly. He was in shock. He had had no idea it would go this far, yet it had.

For as smart as he was, Tadashi couldn't have predicted how Hiro would behave, how he would react to any given situation. One of the best things about his brother's mind was that it was unpredictable. Not even Hiro knew how he'd react to something; there were so many factors that couldn't be predicted, and Tadashi himself knew that everything was subject to change. Change was as natural as breathing and it was hard to apply it, especially when one didn't have all of the variables to begin with.

Going through with his plan to fake his death, Tadashi hadn't known what to expect. There was one thing he definitely knew he had expected and it was Hiro removing his health care chip from Baymax and ordering the robotic nurse to destroy Callaghan. Tadashi didn't blame Hiro, though. How could he? If their roles were reversed, could Tadashi honestly say that he wouldn't feel the urge to hurt Callaghan? No. After all, hadn't he done all of this to protect his brother from Callaghan? Yes. But even though he had had the best intentions, was what he did, was what he was doing right now, right?

He didn't know anymore.

"Baymax could have killed Callaghan, Tadashi!" Gogo shouted at him, her anger rolling off of her in waves. She had a right to be angry, just as Hiro did. This was all of Tadashi's fault. He had been stupid and careless and he had nearly gotten his friends and his brother, his most important person, killed because of it.

"We all could have died! Tadashi, you need to act. NOW!" Gogo screamed at him, getting in her face.

"I-I-I k-know," he began but Gogo stopped him.

"That's the problem! You don't know! You can't!" she screamed. "Hiro is breaking! He's practically broke! You can't fix a broken person, Tadashi! There's no damn medical procedure for that!"

For the first time in his entire life, Tadashi was lost. He had no idea what to do. His heart ached, it felt as though an invisible hand had taken hold of it and was squeezing it to death. Every bone in his body was sore, even his blood hurt him! He had put his friends in grave danger. His creation, his robot that was meant to help people, had nearly killed Callaghan and his friends. Hiro, his brother, the love of his life, his most prized treasure, was hurting so much that just hearing about it was causing tears to run down Tadashi's face.

Words could not describe what he felt. What words were there to describe a brother's, a lover's, tears? What words were there to heal a broken heart? Tadashi didn't know, but he knew that he had to find them; he had to make things right. He just had to.

"Go to Hiro, Tadashi," Gogo said, panting and heaving, her eyes glaring daggers at him. "Go to him and make this right. Do it right now."

Tadashi didn't need to hear another word. He was out the door within seconds.

**~…~**

"Tadashi is here," Baymax said in his soft and comforting voice. Hiro slammed his tiny fists against the robot's chest.

"No, he's not! Tadashi's not here! Tadashi's gone!" Hiro screamed, hot tears pouring from his eyes. He swallowed the lump in his throat and more tears streamed down his cheeks. His entire body was trembling. He felt numb.

"Tadashi's gone," Hiro said brokenly. He felt broken. He felt like a toy that had been played with so roughly that there was no way it could be repaired. Once more, he was drowning in the darkness that had consumed him when Tadashi had died and once more he found himself beginning to fall back into its familiar embrace.

Anything would be better than the pain and despair and betrayal that Hiro felt right then and there.

Tadashi had died for no reason. He had risked his life to save Callaghan, a man who didn't even need saving thanks to the very microbots Hiro had created, and he had died. He was gone. Tadashi's selflessness, his bravery, had been for nothing. His death was meaningless. Hiro didn't know what was worse: not having Tadashi with him anymore or knowing that Tadashi had died for no reason whatsoever.

"Tadashi is here," Baymax said once again. Hiro shook his head, his tears falling onto the garage floor as he did so.

"No. No, he's not," he mumbled.

"Yes, he is."

Hiro's eyes shot open. His heart began to beat wildly, so much so that it felt as though it was about to burst from his chest. That voice…that voice…

"Tadashi is here, Hiro."

Jerking his head up, wondering if he'd see a vision, an optical illusion caused by his lack of sleep and his own sorrow and despair, Hiro saw Tadashi standing in the garage opening. He looked just as he always had except that he was wearing a hoodie that was far too big for him. And there were bags underneath his eyes, but those were nothing new. Standing before Hiro, looking very much alive and very much healthy and very much real, was Tadashi, his brother, his best friend, his lover, his purpose for living, his everything.

"Ta…Tada…shi?" Hiro said, his voice sounding rough and raspy and foreign to his own ears. Tadashi gave him a tender, loving and warm smile and then suddenly, he was crossing the space between them and pulling Hiro into his arms.

Hiro hugged him back, tears of joy now running down his face, chapping his cheeks and making his eyes red and puffy. With a cry of pure happiness and joy, Hiro clung to his brother as they held each other, Tadashi's large hands running up and down his back, soothing every single ache that he felt as well as patching his back together. The darkness that had threatened to overwhelm him dissipated and he was now shrouded in light, Tadashi's light.

Tadashi pulled back slightly and began pressing kisses to Hiro's neck, his cheeks, his forehead, his eyes, his nose, his jaw, and then, finally , his lips. Fireworks exploded in the background and birds and woodland animals began to cheer and sing a merry song as they kissed. It was far better than their first time and Hiro was half afraid that Tadashi would disappear beneath his very finger tips.

But he didn't.

He remained in Hiro's arms as they kissed and all Hiro could do was moan and press his smaller body against Tadashi's larger one, reveling in the fact that Tadashi was alive! Tadashi was alive! And he was here, with Hiro! They were together at long, long last! After what seemed like a life time apart, they were finally reunited!

Why Tadashi was alive and not dead didn't matter to Hiro right then and there. Where he had been since his 'death' didn't matter. All that did matter was that Tadashi was alive and he was here, he was really, really here! And they were together.

Hiro had never been happier.

**~…~**

Later that night, Hiro was curled up beside Tadashi on Tadashi's bed, sound asleep. He had been exhausted and Tadashi had ended up carrying his brother upstairs to their bedroom, glad that it was late and Aunt Cass was already in bed.

Their friends had stopped by to check on Hiro and everyone, aside from Gogo that is, had been incredibly happy to see Tadashi alive. He hadn't realized it until then how much he had missed them, but he had. It just hadn't been the same without them in his life and he was glad that he wouldn't have to hide once all of this was said and done.

After Hiro had apologized to everyone, they had found out exactly what had happened between Callaghan and Krei and how Callaghan's daughter factored into it. Thanks to Honey Lemon, she had found footage of the teleportation device and on it, she found Callaghan hugging the pilot, his daughter. His daughter who had entered the portal and had never returned.

Now, it all made sense. That didn't, however, make what Callaghan was going to do right. He needed to be stopped and he would be. But first, everyone needed to rest, especially Hiro. His emotions had drained him considerably and he was out almost as soon as hit head hit the old, beat up arm of the red couch in the garage. An hour later, Gogo, Honey, Fred, and Wasabi left, leaving Tadashi alone with a sleeping Hiro. Life had never seemed better in that moment.

As he carried Hiro up the stairs, his brother woke up briefly from his sleep.

"Where we…goin'?" he asked. Tadashi smiled and pressed a soft kiss to Hiro's hair.

"To bed, Hiro," he replied.

"Tada…Tadashi," Hiro mumbled, sleep clouding his voice. Tadashi finally made it to their room and he nudged open the door with his foot.

"Yeah, Hiro?" he said.

"Promise…promise me you...you won't come with us t'morrow," Hiro said, his eyes half lidded and glazed over with sleep. "Can't…can't lose you…again."

Sighing softly, Tadashi kissed Hiro's lips and said, "I promise." And then, Hiro was out like a light.

With a soft, tender smile, Tadashi stripped Hiro down to his boxers and shirt before doing the same for himself. Then, he pulled Hiro underneath the covers with him and snuggled his brother, sighing happily at the familiar warmth of his brother's body beside him own. It had been too long since he had had the pleasure of cuddling his brother as he prepared to sleep and Tadashi was going to soak every second of it up.

He planned on keeping his promise to Hiro. Tadashi wouldn't join them when they left to confront Callaghan. Instead, he'd go to the police, give them everything he had uncovered and he would join them when they left for the nasty scene that was sure to spill out at the only logical place, Krei Tech Industries' new campus.

As he laid there in bed with Hiro in his arms, Tadashi could only hope that everything would turn out alright in the end.

**~…~**

Tadashi finally understood how Hiro felt after he had 'died'.

As he watched his brother and Baymax fly into the portal in search of Callaghan's daughter, Tadashi's heart stopped, time stopped, the entire world around him stopped. It had been a rough battle for his brother, for Baymax, and for their friends and their gear and tired expressions showed it. The only good thing was that Callaghan was in custody right now and Krei was being looked over by the paramedics. They had wanted to look over Tadashi and his friends as well, but they had been adamant about staying close to the portal. They refused to budge and had insisting on waiting for Hiro and Baymax to return. Because they would.

They would.

Seconds turned into agonizing minutes as the portal continued to suck everything around it in. Tadashi was just thankful that he and his friends were guarded by a large piece of Krei Tech debris too heavy and dense to be sucked into the portal. As they held their ground and waited for Hiro and Baymax to return, Tadashi couldn't help but worry. Anything could go wrong while Hiro and Baymax were in that portal. A number of scenarios popped into Tadashi's mind and each one was worse than the last.

How long had it been now? Five minutes? Ten? Even that? Maybe it had just been a few seconds. Tadashi didn't know nor did he care really. All he cared about was his brother, Hiro. Hiro had been the only person Tadashi had ever truly loved. There was no one else for him. No one understood him or his love for robotics and technology like Hiro. No one had known him for so long or accepted him whole heartedly. No one could ever give him the love he needed and desired like Hiro. And Hiro, his most important person, was in a strange, teleportation portal with Baymax, hopefully rescuing Callaghan's daughter. Tadashi would feel a surge of pride if he wasn't so dang worried!

A crackling sound suddenly erupted from the portal and out shot a pod with a purple being clinging to it. Hiro had made it! And he had Callaghan's daughter with him! But…where was Baymax? Shaking his head, Tadashi quickly ran over to his brother even as the portal began to eat away at itself, tearing itself apart.

"Hiro! Are you hurt?" he asked.

"N-no. I'm fine," Hiro yelled over the sound of the portal collapsing. It'd soon be gone and the remnants of project Silent Sparrow would be gone forever.

"Where's Baymax?" Tadashi asked.

"He got hit by debris," Hiro said, sniffling, tears silently flowing down his cheeks. Tadashi knelt down and pulled Hiro into his arms. Hiro clung to him, his small, thin body shaking. When he pulled away, Tadashi was smiling at him. Turning his head to the right, he reached up and wiped at the glass of the pod, revealing Callaghan's daughter's sleeping form.

"You did it, Hiro," Tadashi said and gave his brother a warm and loving smile. "You saved her. I'm so proud of you."

Hiro chewed on his bottom lip before he flung his arms around Tadashi's neck again. Holding his brother even as the paramedics rushed on the scene, Tadashi rubbed his back.

"Don't worry. We'll rebuild Baymax," Tadashi told him softly. "Together." Always together.

**~…~**

A few days after the entire incident at Krei Tech Industries, Tadashi was sitting on his bed with Hiro's head in his lap, a newspaper in his hand. They technically had classes today, but neither one wanted to go, needing a day off from life in general. Aunt Cass had been so very happy that Tadashi was alive, but she had pulled his ear incredibly hard after she came down from her joyous high for worrying her. The newspapers had labelled Tadashi a hero for faking his own death in order to help the mysterious team of six unknown individuals who had stopped Callaghan and who had also saved his daughter.

Callaghan was still in custody and his daughter, Abigail, was currently under observation at the hospital. It would be quite some time before she'd be released, but she was young and Tadashi was confident that she'd make a full recovery. Everything, it seemed, was finally going smoothly, and for that, Tadashi was glad. Looking down, he smiled lovingly as Hiro slept away peacefully, his head resting on Tadashi's lap.

Hiro hadn't left his side since they came home. If Tadashi had to use the bathroom, Hiro was there. If Tadashi had to shower, they showered together. If Tadashi had to take the garbage out because Aunt Cass was punishing him for faking his death without her permission, Hiro would help him. It was adorable and it melted Tadashi's heart knowing that he was so loved by his Hiro. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to Hiro's temple and put the paper down. It was a little after eleven, but with the warm sun shining on them, Tadashi couldn't think of anything better to do than to nap with his brother.

Moving himself so that he was lying on his bed, Tadashi pulled Hiro into his arms and snuggled him as he fell asleep, a gentle, warm, and tender smile on his face.

He had done it. They had done it. And now, there was nothing but blue skies ahead of them.

**~…~**

A/N: I'm sorry if this kind of doesn't make any sense. I was half asleep when I wrote this (I took a nap half way through writing this…sorry). Let me know what you think! Leave a comment in the towel section if you would please! And if you see any errors or mistakes, please let me know! Thank you all so much for reading my story!


End file.
